More Than Making Ends Meet: The Bravery to Choose Education

She was one of the young volunteers from Champasak University supporting the event—quietly efficient, attentive, and curious. At the time, our interaction was brief, shaped by the many tasks we each had to deliver. As the UN in Lao PDR booth presenter, I worked closely with several volunteers after briefing them on our messages and materials, and Takky stood out for the care and pride she brought to her role.

It wasn’t until December, however, that we truly connected through a phone call.

Perhaps it helped that my father was also from the rural areas of Champasak Province. Being half southern myself, when we finally had the chance to sit down and talk, our conversation flowed easily— grounded in shared references, familiar accents, and an unspoken understanding of what it means to grow up outside the capital.

Takky is a 22-year-old final-year student at Champasak University, studying Economics and Management. It was not a degree she chose out of passion at first, she admitted, but out of fear—fear that without a “practical” field of study, she might not find a job. For her, university was never a given; it was a risk.

She still remembers riding her motorcycle for two hours in the rain just to sit for the university entrance examination. She was determined not to miss the chance. That day mattered more than discomfort, more than fear. Takky is the first person in her entire family to attend university.

Her childhood, she told me, was colorful— filled with questions, resilience, and quiet hope. Her father passed away when she was just eleven months old. Soon after, her older brother and her mother left to work in a neighboring country to support the family. Takky grew up in the care of her maternal grandparents, surrounded by love, but also by limitation.

In her family, as in many others, survival came first. Work was something you did immediately, not something you prepared for years in advance. Yet even as a child, Takky wanted more than simply making ends meet. She dreamed of a sustainable future—one where her family could not only survive, but thrive.

Her journey into volunteering began unexpectedly. Through social media, Takky saw young people in neighboring countries doing what she described as “really cool” things—acts of service that cared for their communities. Inspired, she later met seniors at school who were already volunteering. She joined one group, and soon became hooked.

“It’s not about giving,” she told me. “You get so much in return.”

Through volunteering, Takky learned things no classroom could teach her—how to communicate, organize, listen, and lead. She spoke with pride about being trusted to facilitate activities and support others, moments that helped her discover leadership skills she never knew she had.

Living in Pakse and being exposed to new ideas and experiences has shaped her hopes for the future. When she graduates, Takky hopes to work with organizations that improve livelihoods in communities like her own.

She recalled her primary school days vividly. “During lunch breaks, my friends and I would run down the slope to the Mekong River next to our school to drink water,” she said. “We scooped it up with our palms. We didn’t think about hygiene or cleanliness—we were just thirsty.” Growing up, her family relied on water from the Mekong for cleaning and household use, boiling it for drinking and cooking. And it was only about a decade ago that households began to have access to commercially sold drinking water.

Today, Takky speaks passionately about the need for resource mobilization to ensure access to basic needs—clean water especially. Even now, tap water remains a privilege her home village does not enjoy.

She is equally passionate about education. For Takky, education is not just about earning money today or tomorrow. It is about opening doors, breaking cycles, and securing a better future—so that more people can experience possibilities beyond survival.

She shared something deeply personal as we spoke. Although her family has supported her financially, she was not given unconditional permission to study. She had to explain her reasons and justify her choice. Now, she feels a responsibility—to make the most of these four years, to ensure they count, and to prove that choosing education was the right decision.

As I listened to Takky, I was reminded that development is not an abstract concept. It lives in stories like hers—in resilience shaped by hardship, in dreams formed through exposure, and in a quiet determination to give back, not because one has excess, but because one understands what is missing.

Takky’s journey is still unfolding. But already, it reflects the power of opportunity, the value of education, and the leadership potential of young people when they are trusted, supported, and inspired to imagine a better tomorrow